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Kittens
You've found a kitten, now what?
How to Age a Kitten
1. How do her teeth look?
Baby teeth start to come in around 3 weeks of age and permanent teeth at 3-4 months. The middle incisors are the first to come in around 14 weeks, with the second and third incisors following at about 15 and 16 weeks, respectively. Kitten teeth are tiny, which makes it tricky to tell if the incisors are baby or permanent. It’s
easiest when you have some of both to serve as a comparison. The baby teeth are a little smaller with pointed tips, while permanent teeth are a little wider with flat edges. Because the first two incisors in the top kitten are permanent teeth and the third incisors are still baby teeth, we would
estimate his age at approximately 15 wks. The kitten on the bottom has no visible permanent teeth, so she’s quite a bit younger.
2. How much does he weigh?
A kitten’s weight in pounds
roughly corresponds to his
age in months, and he will
gain weight at a relatively
predictable rate until about
5 months of age. As long
as a kitten is in good body
condition, you can safely
guess that a 1-pound kitten
is about 4 weeks old and a
3-pound kitten is about 12 weeks old.
3. Are her eyes open?
Kittens are born with their eyes closed, and they don’t open until about 10 days of age.
4. Is he walking and playing?
Most kittens start walking around 3 weeks of age,but take a little longer to gain their coordination. Youcan be comfortable saying a kitten who is walkingpretty well and playing is at least 4 weeks of age. content.
adult teeth
baby teeth
Kittens are born with their eyes closed, and they
don’t open until about 10 days of age.
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You've found a kitten.....
Number 1- Do not feed this kitten milk- it is actually bad for their digestive system. Goat's milk can be used as a short term substitute but the preferred is kitten formula such as PetAg KMR in powder or liquid form. Very young kittens need to be fed every 2 hrs. This is a commitment that would be difficult for most people so please call us and we will be happy to find a foster parent and/or assist you.
For complete information click here:
Bringing Home Your New Kitten or Cat
The Ride Home:
Please keep your new kitten in a secure carrier for the trip home as a loose kitten can panic and actually be a hazard.
Preparing Your Home:
Kittens/Cats are particularly sensitive to new surroundings. Please follow these guidelines to help them adapt to their new home. Keep your kitten in a quiet environment for a few days, allowing it to adjust to you and your home. A bathroom or laundry room works well. The carrier or some kind of ‘hidey place’ should be left in the room so she/he has a place to feel safe if frightened. Furnish the room with a soft mat or towel, litter box (with an inch or 2 of unscented litter), dry food and water; scratching post and toys. If you have young children, please supervise them carefully, have them remain seated on the floor while you teach them how to be gentle when petting or playing. It will be much less stressful for your kitten if you slowly introduce he/she to other family members, people and parts of your home.
Food:
We use PurinaOne products. We recommend that you start with this and then if you want to switch to another brand of dry food, please do as follows. First, use mostly PurinaOne with a small amount of the new food, gradually increasing your brand & decreasing the PurinaOne over about a week. This will help your new kitten to adjust to the new food & help eliminate the possibility of diarrhea.
Medical:
Your kitten has been spayed/neutered, dewormed and vaccinated for the following: FVRCP (feline rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia) and FeLv (feline leukemia). It is recommended that all kittens/cats receive the full series of FeLV (feline leukemia) if they will be going outside. Kittens should also be re-tested for feline leukemia at 6 months of age. If we have the mother, she will be tested to ensure that her kittens are negative prior to being released for adoption. SCAS will give you a copy of the Medical Records to bring to your veterinarian.
Important: Please bring your kitten/cat to your veterinarian within 2 weeks of adoption. There are follow-up vaccines that will need to be given to ensure full immunity.
Bringing Home Your Re-homed Cat
Follow the same guidelines as stated for a new kitten on the front page PLUS:With a re-homed cat, the first few weeks are crucial.Their territory is of paramount importance to them so an unfamiliar place is especially frightening. .Do not be surprised if your new cat hides out for a week or more. Slowly let your cat explore, become familiar with its new home and come to you on its own.You can quietly sit in the room and gradually he/she will get used to you.He/she may not eat for the first few days or perhaps only at night- this is normal.Remember to let your new cat set the pace. Your patience will be rewarded with a well-adjusted, content cat!
For More Info:
To learn more, the “Kitten Lady”, Hannah Shaw, has numerous videos, valuable tips and interesting facts on kittens and cats.
Click here for her website www.kittenlady.org